Toy telephone



May 7, 1946. F. A. ZIBELMAN TOY TELEPHONE Filed Sept. 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 7, 1946.

F. A. ZI'BELMAN TOY TELEPHONE Filed Sept. 25, 1944 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 7, 1946 UNITED srA'rEs PATENT OFFICE TOY TELEPHONE Frank A. Zibelman, Chicago lll. Application September 25, 1944, Serial No. 555,660

2 Claims. ((11. 1s1--.29)

My invention relates to a-toy telephone of the type wherein sound waves are transmitted from a mouth piece to an ear piece by vibration of a length of string or wire stretched taut therebetween.

It is an object of my invention to provide a toy phone with duplicate diaphragms that may be used interchangeably as either transmitter or receiver. It is a further object of my invention to provide means for tensioning the string in such manner as to protect it against breakage. It is a further object of my invention to provide means for stretching the string or wire taut around corners in such manner as not to interfere with the vibrations necessary to transmit sound waves along the string or wire. Other objects of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sketch showing the method of securing one phone to the string;

Figure 2 is a plan view of one phone;

Figure 3 is a perspective sketch showing the method of securing the string or wire so as to transmit sound in an angular direction;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the supporting springs;

Figure 5 is a detail view of an alternative form of connection; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing another form of connection.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a base member comprising a handle portion 3 and a pair of enlarged end portions 4. The base member may be formed of any suitable material, such as paperboard, wood, plastic or metal. The end portions 4 are duplicates and therefore only one will be described. Either end portion may be used either as a transmitter or as a receiver. The end 4 is provided with a large aperture 5. An upstanding wall 6 is'secured to the inner circumference of the aperture 5 to provide a suitable sound chamber. The lower end of the wall 6 is flush with the bottom surface of the base member 2. The upper end of the wall 6 is covered with a fiat annular flange I to provide a smooth surface for contact with the users car.

A disk covering the aperture 5 is adhered to the bottom surface of the base member 2 to form a diaphragm. The diaphragm 8 is preferably formed of vulcanized fiber, but may be formed of plastic or any other suitable material. The outer edge of the diaphragm is protected by means of an annular flange 9 adhered thereto. The central portion of the diaphragm is preferably reinforced y a small disk HI of metal or vulcanized fiber. As shown in the drawings the disk In is glued to the diaphragm, but when a metal reinforcing disk is used it may be clinched to the diaphragm by means of small prongs projecting from the edge of the reinforcing disk which may be forced through the diaphragm and then clinched over without interfering with the capacity of the diaphragm to vibrate in response to sounds uttered adjacent thereto.

The diaphragm 8 and the reinforcing disk ID are provided with a small aperture ll through which a piece of string or wire I2 is threaded. A knot I3 is provided at one end of the string or wire 12 to prevent its being pulled through the aperture II when the phones are in use. In the preferred embodiment the other end of the string or wire i2 is threaded through the aperture H in the other diaphragm of the same phone and is similarly knotted, as indicated at H. The other .phone is provided with a similar string or wire t2 and the two strings are connected by another string or wire It.

The string I4 may be simply tied to the strings l2 but I prefer to provide a loop I5, as shown in Figure 5, or a tension spring I 6, as shown in Figure 1. The tension spring I6 is provided with loops l1, l8 at its ends. The string I2 passes through the loop l1 and the string I4 is tied to the loop H. In the embodiments of Figure 5 and Figure 1 the string l2 slides through the loop I5 or the loop I! whenever the phone is moved angularly relative to the string l4 so that both branches of the string l2 remain taut when the phones are being used so as not to interfere with the vibrations being transmitted through the system. Because both branches of the string or wire l2 are taut, the vibrations of the string M are transmitted along both branches with equal intensity to both diaphragms 8 so that the message may be heard by holding the ear close to either diaphragm.

In the embodiment of Figure 1 the tension spring 16 has the added advantage of absorbing the pull on the string when the phones are being separated to make the strings taut so as to prevent accidental breakage of the string. Since the phones are normally used by children at .play, the twisting and turning of either child while conversing on the phones may be sufliclent to break the string except for the protection offered by the tension springs.

Instead of having the string l 2 connecting two diaphragms on the same phone, a string 23 may connect a diaphragm of one phone directly with a diaphragm of the other phone, as shown in Figure 6. The other two diaphragms are connected to the system by means of separate strings 24 which are secured to the long string 23 either directly by a knot or through a tension spring similar to the spring I B.

It has always been thought that in any telephone system in which sound is transmitted by vibrations along the string, if the string touches any object the vibrations will be distorted or stopped so that the sound cannot be heard at the other phone. Accordingly, it has heretofore been possible to transmit sound only along a straight line. I have devised means for supporting the string I I so that part of the string may extend at an angle to other parts without interfering with the transmission of the vibrations.

A tension spring I9 having one end embedded in suction cup 20 is provided at its free end with a loop 2I. When it is desired to have the system extend angularly through a doorway, the supporting spring I9 is mounted on the far side of the doorway, as indicated at 22 in Figure 3, by means of the suction cup 20. When the string or wire I4 is threaded through the loop 2| the spring I9 is under tension. As the string vibrates, the spring I9 also vibrates and permits the vibrations to continue along the string.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail it will be understood that the description thereof is illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a toy telephone system, a pair of phones eachprovided with a receiver and a transmitter, a' string connection between said phones, said string connection comprising one string connecting one receiver to the trasmitter on the same phone, a second string connecting the other receiver to the transmitter on its phone, and a third string connecting said first and second strings, and means for equalizing the tension on all portions of the strings when the phones are in use.

2. In a toy telephone, a base member provided with a pair of diaphragms that may be used interchangeably as either a transmitter or receiver, a string connecting said diaphragms, and a spring secured to said string by means of an integral closed loop through which said string passes, said spring being connected to a second string in such a manner as to induce vibrations in said second string when said strings are taut and sounds are uttered near either of said diaphragms.

FRANK A. ZIBELMAN. 

